Flying Off
by NHarmonia
Summary: Through Sandgem. Will eventually be N/White. After all is said and done, White is a teenage girl. And nothing will ever quite measure up to saving Unova. There has to be something else out there... and Black has the same idea. Second true chapter.
1. To Places Unknown

**Flying Off  
><strong>_To Places Unknown,_ Prologue

I'm beginning a story. Which is big. This will be my first venture into the Pokémon fandom, mainly brought on by an obsession with Gen V and a desire for continuation. I'm an enormous N/White fan, and that will be the eventual pairing. I'll do my best to keep all in character and running smoothly.

I would love it if you would review. :3

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><p><em>They're so happy, now.<em>

Bianca is studying with Professor Juniper. She has been, for a while. Started as an assistant, sort of… helping out, nothing formal. Spending time with the professor, you end up learning things. Apparently, Bianca enjoyed it enough to stay. I'm happy for her, but she's gone quite a bit, off collecting things for Juniper, and sometimes still insisting on being her 'bodyguard'.

I miss Bianca.

Cheren is around even less frequently. He trains with Martial, at the Pokémon League, to the point of obsession. Drives Caitlin absolutely insane, I hear, charging between the Elite Four at strange hours of the evenings, nearly decimating her team with his Liepard. While Martial is his official sensei, he supposedly spends inordinate amounts of time with Shauntal, watching her write. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what he's doing. Experiencing, learning, shaping his mentality by their examples and shaping them at the same time.

I miss Cheren.

N is… somewhere. Off in a distant region, certainly. But all I know about his whereabouts is what I hear on the television, of questionable veracity. If he has his Pokémon with him, he's as close to happy as such a person can ever be.

I miss N. In a bizarre way, it's him I miss the most. Because he was… my foil. Besting him was the reason for my training, my Pokémon, for my life, it is beginning to seem.

Now, he's gone, Cheren is gone, Bianca is gone, and I am lying in my room watching 'The Waving Weaving Walk' on loop until the abilities blend together and I finally fall asleep.

So this is my life, without adversity. Why go after the League Champion, anyway? Alder is happy where he is. And that's Cheren's goal, not mine. Looker put away the Seven Sages, admittedly with my help, but… it's not as if that's a career option, is it? There are only seven of them, no more to find. No one needs my help any more.

My mom knocks again on the door, and I look up, jerked back into reality.

"-_It sure would be nice if I had an ability like that_-" says the television. I roll out of bed, clicking it off with the remote.

"Coming, mom," I call blearily, the blood rushing to my head and turning my vision a fuzzy green around the edges as my system struggles with the transition from reclining to walking. I stumble down the stairs, into the kitchen where my mother waits, her arms crossed impatiently.

"White," she says sharply. "Honey, this has gone on long enough. How long has it been since you let your Pokémon out? Saw a friend? _Left the house_?"

"I'm tired, mom," I sigh, throwing myself down on a cushion. "I've done a lot, okay?"

"I could accept that for the first week, White. It's been a long time since you found that last sage. Weeks. You need to go somewhere! Do something!"

"There's nothing _to_ do!" I argue. "Unova's perfect! Everyone's happy! I've saved the region, okay? I'm going back to bed. Wawalk's on."

"You're not going back in there, White," mom snaps. "This is not like you. You are a social creature, and you _will _get out of the house."

I open my mouth to argue further, but she cuts me off. "Don't make me call Alder! You know very well he'll come!"

Grinding my teeth, I shut my mouth, glowering at my mom. She's right on one count, at least. Alder will come. He'll likely bring Cheren with him. They'll drag me out of my house by force if they have to, they'll call Zekrom out of his Pokéball, and…

I feel a pang of guilt at how I've neglected my Pokemon. I shoot another look at my mom, who returns the hard-eyed glare that I inherited from her, anyway. Then, I edge back towards the staircase.

Before she can protest, I hold my hands in the air.

"I'm just going to pack my bag, mom. Promise."

She purses her lips, but I can see that she is immensely relieved.

"You'll thank me, White. Really, you need this."

I nod curtly, dragging myself up the stairs, grabbing my bag, and jamming the various Pokémon paraphernalia I accumulated over the months obtaining gym badges, chasing N with increasing urgency. Last, I reach under my pillow, pulling out my chain of six Pokéballs.

My Samurott is still first, and I can feel her through the Pokéball. Zekrom's energy hums from the second. My Liligant is third, I recall, and my Simisear fourth. My Emolga, and then the Deino I caught on Victory Road. It's been a long time since I looked at them, but it was comforting just to have them there, sleeping beneath my head. I breathe deep, and then clip the chain to the pocket of my shorts.

The doorbell rings downstairs, and I gasp sharply. It would be _just_ like my mom to call Alder before threatening to… it's him, definitely… I bite my lip, my hand tightening on my Samurott's Pokéball.

"White!" mom called from downstairs. "Your friend is here!"

I don't even bother to ask which one she's talking about. I toss my bag over my shoulder and race downstairs, stopping short at the grinning boy who stands beside my mom.

"Black!" I exclaim, launching forward to hug him in greeting. "It's been forever since Nimbasa, hasn't it? How are you?"

He hugs me back, and I look up to see that I now exactly meet his eyes. I've grown since we last saw each other, which my mom seems to note, smiling broadly at the two of us.

"I've been fine, White," he says, releasing me. "My life hasn't been near as exciting as yours, if I'm to believe half of what people are saying about you!"

It's wonderful to see Black again. We're kindred souls, in more ways than one, though he has an incredible kindness to him that I lack. This is a guy who would help you up if you had fallen while trying to trip him.

"Go on out, the two of you," my mom scolds, though she is smiling from ear to ear. "This house is enough of a wreck without a reunion scene."

"Oops, sorry," Black says ruefully. "Come on, White! My Archen evolved! You need to meet him!"

We exit quickly, me waving to my mom and grinning like an idiot. She's right about more than one thing. It feels great to be back with someone my age. I feel less… empty. Who needs crazy adventures when you're with a friend with the personality of a golden retriever?

Black is more than happy to do most of the talking. He immediately lets his Archeops out of his Pokéball, and the birdlike Pokémon is clearly infatuated with him.

"What about you, White?" he asks. "How's your Dewott? I remember you were having trouble with Elesa..?"

I laugh, sending my Samurott from her Pokéball.

"She's great! Evolved a little after Driftveil."

Samurott blinks in the late morning light, looking as though she's just woken up. I can't imagine I looked much different upon going outside.

"What's been the matter, White?" Black finally says, watching as I stroke Samurott's head. I look up sharply.

"Nothing," I reply, a shade too quickly.

"Look, Cheren called me on my Xtransceiver the other day. That's why I came. Have you been ignoring his calls? He and Bianca are worried about you, White."

I relent, heaving a long sigh.

"I've just been having some trouble since I found the sages, Black."

"Oh?"

"I've been all through Unova. Everywhere. To every single town, city, everything. I've met Kyurem, Reshiram, and even befriended Zekrom," I explain.

"Yeah?" he says, expectantly. "Is something wrong with Zekrom?"

"No, that's not it," I say, a bit exasperated by my inability to get my meaning across. "It's just… it's just…"

"Well, there's got to be something else out there," Black says matter-of-factly.

Samurott and I both look at him.

"What, you don't honestly believe that Unova's the only region out there, do you?"

"…I guess not," I say, shrugging.

"Well, how do you think that Plasma boy's pulled such a disappearing act? There've got to be loads of places outside of Unova… you just have to be looking for them."

"I've never really thought about that," I sigh. "I mean… leave Unova?"

Black nods happily.

"Yeah, exactly! That's another reason I was coming here. Sort of to say goodbye."

"What?" I ask sharply, stopping short. Samurott nudges my hand, demanding to know why I've stopped stroking her. "When are you leaving? Why?"

"Pretty much the same reasons you've been talking about," he says, trailing off. "You know, there are so many trainers here. Young ones, really good ones. Cheren's monopolizing the Elite Four, you know that, White, Bianca's got Juniper, and you… well, you've done well for yourself, haven't you? But it's like all the… special… things have already been done."

He stretches, looking more uncomfortable than I've ever seen him before.

"It's okay, Black," I say, trying to be reassuring but likely failing.

"That sound's really selfish, though. I mean, I've gotten to do more than most trainers get to… I know you, don't I? You're practically a legend! And we came really close to beating Ingo and Emmet. It's not your fault we lost, okay? Just… I kind of want to meet more people. Be a part of something else."

He is searching for something, but I'm not picking up on it.

"Dewott and Simisear were the first to faint, Black, which makes it my fault. But that's beside the point, okay? You've got the right idea. But I could never do something like that. It would be really lonely, not knowing anyone. What if they spoke a different language?"

"Could you do it with me, White?" he asks after a second, looking me in the eye. "We've got the same idea. And I think we both really need to get out of Unova. My parents already know that I'm going. They think I'm already gone."

He sees my surprised expression, and adds, "It's okay if you don't want to. I mean, I'll be fine."

I bite down hard on my lip. Doing this would be… pretty much the only answer to my bout of depression. But wasn't I practically in a vegetative state just this morning? Wasn't my mom yelling at me to get out and do something? This is… something. Something big. A chance to do something bigger. Lots of big things… I could meet more Pokémon, train Zekrom and Samurott even more, evolve Deino…

"I'll talk to my mom," I say indecisively, but Black grins as if I've just said 'yes'.

"Great, White! Thanks so much! This is going to be really great, I know it! We're really going to do it!"

_Oh, Samurott, _I think, looking into the dark, knowing eyes of my favorite Pokémon. _What have I just gotten myself into?_

Black doesn't speak as I recall Samurott into her Pokéball, but he lets Archeops stay perched on his shoulder. The colorful flying-type Pokémon affectionately bites his ear, and Black winces.

"What's up, White?" mom asks, looking up from sweeping the floor as we walk in.

"Mom, I've got something to ask you," I say painfully, my hands curling and uncurling into fists around a Pokéball that isn't there.

"Oh," she says, looking at the two of us. "Oh. White, is this about leaving?"

"How do you know about that?" I ask, surprised.

"I can read you like a book," she says, smiling softly. "Do it, White. Whatever it is. Adventure doesn't always seek you out. Sometimes you need to find it on your own. Black's a good friend. Where're the two of you going?"

Before I can say that I haven't an idea, Black cuts in.

"Sinnoh is the closest. We'd be flying there."

"You've done your research," mom says, impressed. "I haven't got a problem with it, as long as you've both got your Xtransceivers."

Black and I produce our devices, eliciting a nod from my mom.

"Good. Then you're free to go. Take care of your Pokémon, White. And both of you, take care of each other. If I need to assist you, I can fly over. Professor Juniper has my Unfezant, but he'll be more than able to carry me there if you need help."

"Do you want to come with us, mom?" I ask, though I can barely believe I am asking her.

She laughs lightly.

"I've had my fun, years ago. The two of you, enjoy the flight… call me as soon as you reach Sinnoh."

I hug her tight, struck by the realization that I am almost her height.

"You're sixteen, White, don't worry," she whispers. "You can handle yourself, now. I'll miss you, though, honey."

"I love you, mom," I say quietly, worrying at the fact that I am really, truly leaving her, once again. "You'll be okay without me?"

"Don't worry about me, White. Have fun with Black. He's a good friend."

She breaks away, ending our embrace. Her eyes are watery, and I suspect that mine are as well. Black looks on, smiling.

"Thank you for letting her come," he says to my mom. "It means a lot to me not to be going alone."

"I can imagine," mom says, patting him on the shoulder. "Take care, now, both of you. I love you, White."

I smile through my tears, walking towards the door, but turning back to see her face again. She is crying, as well. It will always be hard to leave home, even if it is expected of people my age. My mom is all I have, really. I can't take leaving her lightly.

"Go," she urges quietly. "At worst, you can come back."

I close the door quietly behind me, and Black's grin grows even wider.

"This is going to be amazing, White… are you ready to go?"

Putting my hand on the proper Pokéball, I call out Zekrom, holding my breath in anticipation. The enormous dragon-type Pokémon emerges in a crackle of static electricity, raising his head to the sky before looking down at me.

"Zekrom, use Fly!" I call, hopping onto his back as the leathery black wings spread and begin to take him up into the air.

"Go, Swanna!" Black calls from the earth beneath me. "Use Fly as well!"

He and his Pokémon spiral up to meet me and Zekrom in the sky.

"Let's go, then!" he cries, looking excited, his dark brown hair whipping in the breeze generated by Zekrom and Swanna's wings. "To Sinnoh, Swanna! Twinleaf Town!"

"Follow them, Zekrom!" I say loudly, barely audible in the wind that rushes through my ears. I barely have time to straighten my hat before we are off like a Bullet Seed attack, close behind Black and Swanna.

I can hear him cheering in delight ahead of me, and despite the melancholy of leaving home once again, I can barely restrain myself from doing the same.

_And… I'm happy, too. It's been too long._


	2. Past the Ocean

**Flying Off  
><strong>_Past the Ocean_, Chapter 1

I'm terrifically happy with how this is turning out. White's is an interesting perseptive from which to write, and while I'm still working out the way she thinks, writing in a canon's perspective is altogether different from what I do normally. Please enjoy the true Chapter 1.

I would love it if you would review. C:

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><p>Black and I fly until late in the evening, when the blue in the sky fades into a pale purple, then a deep pink tinged with orange, and finally, a dusky violet.<p>

"I wonder how they're all doing," he sighs, looking off into the void that was once the setting sun.

"Cheren is pestering Caitlin, I'd wager," I muse, following his line of sight. "Bianca will be in the lab with Professor Juniper, probably they're trying to coax some dream mist from her Musharna, to give to Fennel."

"My parents will be preparing to go to sleep. Dad's washing the dishes, I bet, and mom's likely reading mail," he adds.

"My mom is almost certainly still cleaning," I laugh, and he smiles at me, though for a second I catch him looking sad at the thought of our leaving home so abruptly. "Cheer up, Black. What do you think we'll see in Sinnoh?"

"Loads of new Pokémon," he says, looking wistful. "Can you imagine all of them? I mean, they can't all be the same as in Unova…"

"That'll make Juniper happy," I say with a grin. "Have you filled your Unova Pokédex?"

"Seen, not caught," he says, pulling the device out to show me.

"Still awesome. I've only seen about a hundred."

I flip through his Pokédex. It's impressive, I'll give him that. While I've been off battling through the region, Black has caught well over half of Unova's Pokémon.

"Victini! Black, how'd you manage that?" I ask, aghast.

He grins, and it's clear I've hit upon something he'll admit to pride in.

"I had my own run-in with Plasma. Nothing big, but… still, it was pretty cool. Victini chose me."

"D'you have him with you?" I ask, my eyes flashing to the chain of Pokéballs clipped to Black's jacket.

"No, I left Victini with Juniper. I didn't want him… stolen, you know? If the Plasma guys cornered me, I didn't want him to be the one they took."

"That's sweet, Black."

"Thanks," he sighs, looking wistfully over his shoulder. "I'll miss Unova."

"It's just as hard the second time," I agree. "But all we've got from home are each other and our Pokémon. It won't be easy to get back, either."

Zekrom makes his odd, humming growl, and I look down, running my hand over the cool black plate that covers his neck.

"Does he see something?" Black asks.

"I bet," I reply, looking ahead, though my vision is woefully inadequate. Black's Swanna is beginning to make a fuss as well, and he turns to me excitedly.

"Land's coming up," he says with certainty. "No more water!"

I like water. Water is nice. If you slip from a Pokémon's back into water, you can at least pretend you're going to have a soft landing in the seconds before you die horribly. But I don't say anything to Black. I'm too much of a downer without even opening my mouth. And when I think about it, land means you can… land. And Zekrom, beautiful, powerful Zekrom, is not exactly a comfortable perch.

"I wonder where we are…" I say aloud, looking around as our Pokémon propel us forward. "It's getting late. Have we really made it to Sinnoh?"

Ahead, the seemingly endless swath of blue comes to an abrupt end with a jutting tip of land. I can see only a tiny strip of beach, though, and it is clear that we will have trouble landing on it at once.

"What do we do here?" I ask, turning to Black, whom I can only hope has some sort of encyclopedic knowledge of Sinnoh's shores beneath that cap of his.

"This'll be Route 219, unless I'm mistaken, which I may well be," he says with a grin. "It's a Surfing route. You have a Pokémon that knows the move with you? I should have asked earlier."

I grind my teeth, a habit I should probably break.

"You're lucky Samurott knows Surf, Black. Otherwise I might have to hit you with something heavy. Is Route 219 close to a town or something?"

"Sandgem, I believe," he says good-naturedly. "You must be tired, White. Don't worry, Swanna, you came close to Twinleaf. I'd say we're a day's walk away, if memory serves me. Let's get closer to the water, then use Surf!"

Zekrom follows Swanna without direction from me, which I am grateful for, until his wings nearly skim the water. Swanna falls gracefully the remaining few feet, while Zekrom hovers uncertainly. I get the feeling he likes water about as much as he likes Reshiram.

"Go, Samurott!" I call, releasing my Pokémon in a burst of light. "Use Surf!"

Samurott bounds into the water, swimming along beneath me as I hold my breath, preparing mentally for my next step.

"Okay, Zekrom! Come back!"

With a click, a whoosh, and a muffled thud, I have fallen with all the grace of a sack of potatoes onto Samurott's back, Zekrom comfortably returned to his Pokéball. Samurott looks up at me reproachfully from the water, but we slowly catch up with Black and Swanna, who float serenely on the water's surface.

"What now?" I ask, my heart still not quite slowed down.

"We… surf. Shouldn't take much more than half an hour," Black explains with a shrug. "Wonder if there are any trainers out here?"

Swanna and Samurott seem content to cut through the water, each of them having their own rhythmic pattern of movement. The land that looked so close from a height seems awfully far away, now, and I can feel my eyelids drooping. It's been an awfully long time since I've done anything even remotely like this.

"Woah, _cool_! What are those? Are they_ legendary_? Hey! Mariel! Come check this out!" A shrill voice calls, jolting me out of my stupor and into the damp, salty sea air.

A little boy in a pale blue inner tube looks like he's about to burst from excitement. The shore is now only about twenty yards away, but Swanna and Samurott have stopped moving, preparing to lap up the attention they are certainly about to receive.

"This is Swanna," Black says kindly, smiling at the little boy. "Swanna evolves from Ducklett. Have you ever seen one before?"

"So it's not legendary?" The boy asks, looking disappointed. "I don't think they evolve…"

A little girl, bearing the same distinctly annoyed expression as me, paddles up in a deep pink inner tube.

"What's your issue, Trenton?" she snaps. "I was about to catch a Tentacool! Hey… what are those?"

The anger in her deeply tanned face dissipates, and she paddles up to inspect Swanna and Samurott, who are both preening and generally looking smug.

"This is Samurott," I say, with as much patience as I can muster. "She's water-type. Evolves from Dewott, which evolves from Oshawott."

"I thought I'd seen all the water-types there were!" the little girl, who I assume to be Mariel, says, aghast. "Where are you from?"

"The Unova region..?" Black says, trailing off at their blank looks.

"They've never heard of it," I say, with dawning apprehension. "Then… are we the first to fly here?"

"Impossible," Black replies, with certainty. "Loads of people must have. Just… they probably don't make a big deal about it, like we sort of did."

"Oops," I mutter, looking at the little beach ahead, aching for a real bed.

Swanna and Samurott seem to be tired as well, and even Black is leaning forward onto his Pokémon's neck more heavily than usual.

"Look, do you two live in Sandgem?" he asks, eyes uncharacteristically droopy.

"Sure," says Trenton, twirling in his inner tube. "Mom wants us home soon anyway, Mariel. It's getting dark."

I sigh in relief, eliciting some strange looks from the two children. "Can we follow you? We're pretty tired," I ask, controlling my tone carefully.

"Of course," Mariel says politely. "We get visitors all the time. Would you like to speak with Professor Rowan? His lab is in Sandgem. I'm sure he would be happy to meet you… he's the one who gives out Pokédexes. Do you have a Pokedex?"

Black produces his from the pocket of his bag, and the two children look wide-eyed at it.

"Wow," says Trenton. "Follow us, okay?"

The two paddle slowly to shore, pace slightly encumbered by their tubes, and even our tired Pokémon can easily match it. The beach is not as small as it appeared from the sky, but we would have clearly had difficulty landing at the same time.

I return Samurott to her Pokéball, and Black does the same with his Swanna. In the deepening shadows, we follow the two children to a small town barely a five minute walk from the shore.

Despite the proximity, Black and I are about to fall asleep on our feet.

Sandgem Town is, above all things, small. There are exactly two houses, a Pokémon Center, a little blue building, and a laboratory that is the only building still lit up at the hour.

Mariel and Trento say goodbye, and run to the smaller of the two houses, giggling and occasionally looking back at us surreptitiously. The night air, cool and salty from the ocean, washes around us as we walk past the large house, towards the lab.

I pause at the door, looking inside.

"Is that Drayden?" I hiss, ushering Black over to the window.

"Maybe he trimmed his beard," Black says doubtfully. "But why would he be here?"

Shielding my eyes against the sudden change of brightness, I push the door open, holding it for Black and slowly shutting it behind me.

The older man, who has been removing something from his refrigerator, turns abruptly to face us. He is garbed in a long, dark brown coat, and has a shock of white hair to match his muttonchops and beard. He seems to be eating a candy bar.

"Hrmph!" he grumbles. "Who are the two of you?"

"Oh, um," Black says, startled. "I'm Black, this is White… are you Professor Rowan, sir?"

I nod, figuring it better to let Black do the talking in this instance.

"And what are you doing in my laboratory at this time of night? My assistants have already gone home for the evening."

"We… we just flew here. From… from Unova, sir," Black stammers, quailing under the Professor's hard gaze. "Two kids… told us we should… see you."

Professor Rowan looks us up and down, narrowing his eyes.

"Unova, you say? There's been talk of that region recently… I don't suppose you know why?"

"I doubt we do, sir," Black says, looking at me pleadingly. He is extremely eager to make people happy, and this Professor Rowan seems anything but.

"No matter. You'll find out soon enough," the Professor says gruffly. "Who sent you?"

"No one…" Black trails off. "We came on our own."

"You're a bit old to be setting out on your journey, aren't you?"

"We're sixteen, and that's how everyone starts," I jump in, tired and irritated. "Look, Professor Rowan, I'm very sorry, but we've been travelling all day, and we are very tired. Do you know where we could find a place to sleep?"

After a moment, Professor Rowan relents, tossing away the wrapper to a RageCandyBar.

"I've a lot of questions for the two of you, but they can wait until morning. Speak to the couple in the large house. I believe they've a son only a few years younger than you. Come back to my lab in the morning."

He nods curtly, making it abundantly clear that we are dismissed.

"Scary guy," Black comments hoarsely as the door closes behind us.

"Did you see the RageCandyBar? I thought only Pokémon could eat those…"

We walk in silence to the door of the house Rowan mentioned, and I pause before knocking.

"If this is freaking you out as much as me, we can just head to the next town," I suggest.

"Let's just go in," Black replies with a heavy yawn, and I let my fist fall on the door three times.

"Hello?" I call. "We're travelers… we were sent here by Professor Rowan. Do you have any beds available? We're just kids, we won't take up much roo-"

Before I complete my request, the door swings open. A boy of about fourteen, dressed more for the cold than the warm Sandgem weather, greets us. He is almost my height, and has a chain of Pokéballs at his Pocket, but he gapes at us nonetheless.

"What are you waiting for, Lucas?" an older man calls from inside the house.

"Nothing, granddad!" the boy, Lucas, says hastily. "Come in," he says, turning to us. "There's food in the fridge. My dad's resting, but you're welcome to what's left of dinner."

Black follows me in, and I look eagerly around the house. It is dark, with the main lights turned low and the television being the brightest thing in the room. There is a little kitchen in the left corner, and a modest staircase by a bookshelf to the right. A little girl with a red bow in her hair watches the screen with rapt attention as it details a Pokémon 'swarm' at Valley Windworks.

The same old man who called Lucas earlier looks up at us curiously from his seat at the dining room table.

"Well, now, are you friends of my grandson?"

"Uh, not really… but he seems nice," I say lamely. "We're from the Unova region. And we're awfully tired. Professor Rowan said there might be a place for us to sleep, here."

"Ah," says the man, his brow furrowing. "I see. I believe you've a few cots in your closet, Lucas?"

"Sure, granddad," says the boy, dashing up the stairs.

In the ensuing silence, Black and I shift awkwardly where we stand, feeling very much out of place. The little girl, who hasn't once turned from the television, looks up at us abruptly as her show ends.

"What are you two doing here?" she pipes, tilting her head like a particularly inquisitive Pidove.

"We're travelers," Black says, even more uncomfortable with the silence than I. "So, sir," he says, attempting a smile. "How old is your grandson?"

"Fourteen," replies the man, who is clearly not the talkative sort.

"Good age," mutters Black, turning to me morosely and mouthing 'help'. He's not used to so many adults in one day who aren't utterly enamored of him.

Lucas walks downstairs more slowly, holding a pair of old, olive green cots. His grandfather nods, and he sets them up a few feet away from each other by the bookshelf. I sigh in relief.

"Thanks, Lucas," I say, smiling gratefully. I pull a light, folded blanket from my pack, and assemble it to my taste, as Black does the same. I can feel Lucas' questioning look burning a hole in my back, but I simply don't have the fortitude to answer anything at the moment.

"Thank you for letting us into your home," Black says, addressing the house's occupants. "We'll be happy to help in any way we can in the morning."

I nod assention, pulling off my vest and stashing it in my satchel. I'll be perfectly happy to sleep in a shirt and shorts. Black prepares his own bed, and the elderly man and little girl go back to watching Sinnoh! Now! on the large television.

Lucas grabs a book from the shelf, smiling at us a final time before sitting down and immersing himself in whatever it is. He seems like the reader type, anyway.

Black settles into his cot, and so do I, pulling the blanket around me, and surprising myself when I find it difficult to sleep. I check my Xtransceiver, and it is only a little after eight. My thoughts wander beyond the Sinnoh region, as I lay there in the low-lit room.

"What do you think is happening at home now?" Black murmurs from the other cot.

"They're… sleeping, now," I say quietly. "Unova is sleeping. It's later there than here, I think."

That would explain why we're so tired.

"What about Sinnoh?" he asks faintly, and I get the feeling that Black has gotten much less sleep than me in recent days, and is likely far more tired than he's letting on.

"I don't know…" I trail off. "We don't know the people here. Unless… Black? Black?"

He's fallen asleep.

What I said to him wasn't quite the truth. Though it could have been, for him, at least. I can feel someone else, in the region. Someone who is likely just as awake as I am. Judging by everything I've heard, consciously or subconsciously, N is here. In Sinnoh.

The thought simultaneously terrifies and reassures me. I still hold the griseous, adamant, and lustrous orbs in my bag. Straight from Sinnoh mythology. I worry, because while I am certain N is here, Ghetsis may be as well.

I'm less clear on why the presence of my enemy is comforting. I sink blissfully into sleep before I can parse it out. With any luck, the conflicting thoughts will be gone by morning.


	3. Through Sandgem

**Flying Off  
><strong>_Through Sandgem, _Chapter 2

This chapter is a little longer than (read: twice as long as) those before it, but I'm sorry for the amount of time it took to write. I owe my heartfelt thanks to anyone reading this.

I would love it if you would review. :'D

* * *

><p>I've rolled into the fetal position on my cot, which makes for an odd moment of waking up. For a second, I watch as light inches through the windowsill and onto the bookshelf across from me. I'm still painfully aware of where I am, but as I slowly enter full consciousness, I notice the little girl, still watching television.<p>

"Good morning," she says politely, noticing me from the corner of her eye as I pull myself leisurely into a sitting position. "Grandpa and Lucas and dad've gone out already. There's boxed cereal on the table, and milk in the fridge."

Perhaps she doesn't actually need to sleep? I can't recall ever seeing her not glued to the television.

"There's a Pokémon Swarm on Route 221," she informs me as I pour breakfast into a bowl and surreptitiously poke around the kitchen, quietly, opening cabinets out of sheer curiosity. The cereal is a 'healthy' brand that I would normally avoid, and the refrigerator contains only fruit, vegetables, skim milk, leftovers that resemble some kind of pasta, and an uncooked lasagna.

They seem an awfully healthy bunch for a family that lets their youngest watch television all day.

"What can you tell me about Sandgem?" I ask her through mouthfuls of mostly tasteless cereal.

"It's a quiet place," she says simply. "If you're looking for something adventurous, you won't find it here. There's not much to do."

"Ah," I say, not knowing how to respond to that.

"We've gotten more visitors than usual," she adds, changing the channel deftly. "Someone a few years older than my big brother. A few funny people…" she trails off.

"What?" I ask, intrigued.

"They looked kinda like girls, and kinda like guys," she says, giggling. "I'm not sure which. I only saw them out the window. Then they were gone."

"That _is_ funny," I say, swallowing a particularly large spoonful of breakfast. "Are you going to be a trainer someday?"

"Someday," she replies wistfully. "I'm only eight, you know. But when I'm eleven, I'll bet the Professor will give me my own Pokédex, just like my brother's."

"How many people get Pokédexes?"

"Well… not many," she admits, biting her lip, her eyes flickering away from the screen. "Just my brother and his friend, actually. And that was a few years ago. But there's gonna be more room with the Pokédex project, eventually!"

I nod, turning to my nearly empty bowl. The girl has given me a lot to think about. Before I can get in too deep, I push in my chair and wash my bowl in the sink. I'll wake Black, soon. though I can't blame him for being tired. We've a lot of travelling ahead of us, though I am not sure to what end. Just the thought makes me giddy.

"What's your name?" I ask the girl, almost as an afterthought.

"Margaret," she says dreamily, her attention clearly back on the program.

Biting my lip, I lean over Black, unsure of how to proceed. Deciding on something neutral, I lightly shake his shoulder.

Nothing happens. He barely reacts at all.

"Black," I whisper. "Wake up."

Still nothing. My friend is heavily asleep, and I am not rewarded with any reaction other than a slight incline of the head.

I shake him, harder this time, and his eyes open, first a slit, and then wide.

"Woah, White! What'sgoingon?"

His hands flash to the cot he lies on, and his expression grows even more surprised.

"Where… where… oh."

Realization enters his expression, and I help him up, yanking both our blankets from the beds once we're standing and folding them, a tad sloppily.

"You should… lemme do that…" he protests weakly, rubbing his head and straightening his shirt, still not awake enough to really do anything.

"Maybe you ought to go eat something," I tell him, trying not to smile at his reaction to consciousness. "There's cereal on the counter. We'll head to Rowan's lab in a few minutes, okay?"

"Mrrrph," he groans, nodding vaguely, which I infer to be a positive gesture.

He walks heavily over to the kitchenette, barely navigating the open room. I feel a bit bad for him, not being much of a morning person myself. I would have probably hit Black if he woke me up the way I did him.

Black eats quickly, cleans his dishes, and puts on his jacket, still disoriented, but less so. Following his example, I don my vest, clip my Pokéballs to the pocket of my shorts, and tie my hair up into the standard pony tail.

"Are you ready?" I ask, looking up from my shoelaces at Black.

"More or less," he grumbles.

I nod, smiling thinly and taking a last look at the inside of the home.

"Thank you for letting us stay here," I tell Margaret awkwardly.

"It's fine," she says, without so much as looking up. "Have a nice day."

Aside from his unusually heavy blinking, Black seems back to normal and at least marginally refreshed.

"How'd you sleep?" I ask.

"Awfully. I'm very used to my bed."

Sometimes I forget that he didn't adventure quite the same way I did. While I was pursuing a set goal, all eight badges, Black was travelling Unova, meeting people and Pokémon, always flying home for dinner and to see his family while I slept goodness only knows where with only my Pokémon for company.

Despite my week back home, the cot didn't seem like the worst things could be.

"I can understand that," I tell him, walking up to Rowan's door and carefully pushing it open. "Here, let's talk to them."

Black nods, and, steeling myself, I walk in, trying to keep from looking at my boots. Rowan seems almost as intimidating in the morning as he does at night.

"Hello," Black begins brightly, approaching an assistant.

"Hello," the man replies, looking up from his work. "Are you two the kids who were staying at my house last night?"

"Yes, sir," Black says respectfully.

"Thank you for letting us," I add, smiling nervously.

"No problem. Now, was my son, Lucas, outside? Did you see him?"

"No, sir," replies Black. "We haven't seen him since last night."

The man looks displeased and heads towards the door. "He's supposed to wait out there. Likely wandered off. You go talk to Professor Rowan… I understand you're from the Unova region?"

We nod, and he hurries out. Black and I exchange looks and head for the back of the lab, where Rowan seems to be studying a Pokéball.

"Hello, Professor," I say, forcing a smile as he looks up.

"Oh… good morning, the both of you," he says gruffly, putting the Pokéball on the counter and straightening his lab coat. "Thank you for coming."

Black nods politely, and I hurry to do so as well.

"Have either of you ever heard of a Pokédex?" Rowan asks, and we nod again.

"Sure," I say, pulling mine out of my pocket. "It's not very full… Black's is better, really. He's filled it."

The Professor extends a hand, looking extremely surprised.

"May I see this?" he asks slowly.

Wordlessly, I hand it to him. He turns it on, clicking through the many empty or only partially filled pages.

"Who gave this to you?" he says, returning it.

"Professor Juniper?" I reply, but it comes out uncertain, as more of a question. "Do you know of her?"

"I've… heard the name," Rowan replies, pausing. "Well, you seem to have done well for yourselves so far. But this isn't what I wanted to ask you about."

I swallow, slipping the Pokédex back into my shorts.

"There's been a young man, here in Sandgem. Older than you, but not by all that much. Called himself N. We had a… very interesting argument."

My throat abruptly goes dry.

"He's in Sinnoh, then…"

"Yes, very much so. His point of view was altogether puzzling. I would like to know… do you in Unova capture Pokémon? I see you both have Pokéballs with you."

"Uh, yes, yes we do," Black says, noticing my silence. "Here… let me show you. Go, Swanna!"

With a cry and a flash of light, Black's Swanna appears in the lab, preening. He looks up at Professor Rowan with curiosity, and then bites the Professor's shoe.

Rowan does not flinch, merely looking intrigued.

"Fascinating…" he breathes. "I've never seen one like him in my life. How far away is Unova, did you say?"

"Hours by flight," I explain, shrugging. "What were you saying about N? What did he tell you?"

"He, too, had Pokémon I did not recognize," the Professor says. "I asked him about the dragon, which led to a very… informative… conversation. Tell me, is he mad?"

"You could say that," Black says, laughing quietly. "But White's been following him around for months… she could tell you more than I could."

"The dragon he had was likely Reshiram," I say, my hand straying to Zekrom's Pokéball. "Reshiram is one of a trio of Legendary dragons of the Unova region. Reshiram, Kyurem, and Zekrom. I have Zekrom."

"N has had a difficult few months. He was sort of the King of Team Plasma, but sort of not… it was his dad behind the whole thing. And they wanted to free all the Pokémon, but they didn't really…" I trail off at the confused looks that have materialized on the faces of both Black and Professor Rowan. "It's complicated."

"I can imagine," Rowan sighs. "Now, we've had a trio here, a just a week or so ago… strange people, all of them… they asked after the boy. I didn't have much to offer them… and now I rephrase that question to you. Who are they?"

"The Shadow Triad," I say immediately. "They work for N's father. Maybe work is the wrong word. They're unquestioningly devoted to Ghetsis. If they're here, he's likely here."

"Another team, already, then?" the Professor says questioningly. "That hasn't taken long at all. I'll have to call Barry down… he and Dawn took care of the last one."

"Excuse me!" I say indignantly, already bristling at the thought of more people being called in. "I beat Team Plasma before, and I can beat them again! Black and I can take care of this!"

Black looks uncomfortable, shooting me a warning look. "White…" he sighs.

"Who are Barry and Dawn, anyway?" I ask.

"I'll call them," the Professor says calmly, though he does not look happy. "I don't doubt that Barry, at least, will want to introduce himself."

As Rowan turns and picks up the phone, Black hurries me out of the lab.

"What were you thinking, White?" he hisses. "These people don't know you. You have absolutely no authority, here! Don't try to push the Professor around, okay?"

I narrow my eyes at him, crossing my arms in defiance.

"I won't let them pretend we aren't here! We've faced Plasma before. We know what we're doing. No one else needs to get involved. I shouldn't have told him anything in the first place, okay?"

"You don't get it! We're not adults. Who knows what we're dealing with, here?"

"You know what?" I say, breaking off. "Black, you know what? I'm tired of arguing. I'm sorry, okay? Can we please just go? This is such a small town. I need to get out of here."

Black nods, breaking into a thin smile.

"Thanks, White. Now, why don't we check out the Pokémon Center while we wait for Dawn and Barry, whoever they are?"

It's only a few yards from Rowan's lab. Nothing can be all that far away in a tiny place like Sandgem. The doors open of their own accord as we approach, and Black and I are hit with a blast of cooled air as we walk in.

"Where do they sell stuff?" I ask, looking around. The Pokémon Center is bare but for the counter that Nurse Joy stands behind.

"Welcome," she calls. "The Pokémart is next door, if you need anything."

We join her up at the counter, still looking around in wonder. The Pokémon Center is altogether different from the ones at home. The ceilings are lower, the lights are a bit… harsher… though that may be my imagination, and there are cushions and potted plants strewn on the floor, though in an orderly fashion.

"What can I do for you?" the nurse asks, smiling gently. Black grins in a silly sort of way, pulling his Pokéball chain out.

"Could you heal my Pokémon, please? We've been flying for quite a while. My Swanna, at least, should be very tired," he says, still staring up at her.

"Oh, if you could heal mine as well?" I add quickly, handing her the chain from my pocket. "I don't think there's anything specific that's the problem, just… tiredness."

Nurse Joy takes all twelve Pokéballs we offer her.

"I'll freshen them up, don't you worry!" she says brightly, disappearing through a door behind the counter.

"She seems… nice," I comment, nudging Black in the ribs.

"Oh, quiet," he sighs.

By the time Nurse Joy returns, Black and I are lounging on the blue cushions, and he looks close to falling back to sleep, much to my dismay. When she rings the bell, though, he snaps back to life, walking over to the counter.

"You have very well-kept Pokémon!" she informs us, handing back our Pokémon. "I'm not familiar with the breeds, but I did my best. I've entered some information into the Joy database, if that's okay?"

"Oh, of course," I say. "Thank you."

"Yeah, thanks so much!" Black adds, smiling like a lunatic.

"Come on, Black," I say, grabbing his lower arm. "We should get going, hmm?"

I half drag him to the exit before he totally regains his feet. "Yeesh, White," he grumbles. "I can take a hint, okay?"

"She's gotta be thirty, at least," I laugh. "She could be your… err… aunt, I guess."

"Sure, sure," he sighs, walking through the automatic doors first, rubbing his arm where I grabbed him.

He is bowled over in a flash of orange stripes and blonde hair.

"Hey, watch it!" I cry, running forward. "Black, are you okay? Seriously, what were you thinking?"

There's a skinny boy with bright orange eyes and a mass of blonde hair practically on top of Black, looking vaguely abashed.

"Sorry," he says quickly. "Professor Rowan said someone named White wanted to meet me?"

"That's me," I say reluctantly, bending down to help Black to his feet. "Hi. I suppose you're Barry?"

"Yep, that's me," he says proudly, looking me up and down.

I guess Barry's age at about fourteen, pretty much the same as that of Lucas, who I met earlier. He's in a striped orange sweater with a scarf and long pants, joining Lucas in the 'dressed for cold weather in paradise' club.

"So," I begin. "Should I know you or something? Rowan acted like you were someone famous... and forgive me, but you don't even look old enough to be starting your journey yet. What's up with that?"

Barry puffs out his chest, looking annoyed.

"I'm from Twinleaf Town!" he announces. "I helped Dawn defeat Team Galactic two years ago, and once I beat her, I'll be Sinnoh Champion! Where are you from, anyway? It's not as if I've heard of you, either," he adds, looking a bit annoyed.

"I'm White. From… the Unova region. And I'm not a big fan of speeches, but I've done some stuff, too," I say, tilting my head and eyeing him. "Seriously, how old are you?"

"Fourteen!" he protests. "How old are you, huh?"

"Approaching seventeen," I say, wrinkling my nose. "Anyway, how'd you do all that? When do you start training, here, anyway? Do you have a Pokédex?"

"Of course I do!" he says, offended. "I went on my journey years ago. Like everyone!"

Barry turns to Black, though he glances at me briefly as if I am insane.

"Look, what's going on?" he demands.

"We're from a different region," Black explains. "Things are different. She's a bit confused."

I roll my eyes, heading towards Rowan's lab. I'm not really that fond of people like Barry, which is a nice way of saying that I want to break a chair over his head.

Black and Barry are conversing, and I am contemplating violence, when a girl on a large bird Pokémon that I don't recognize lands directly in front of the Pokémon Center, hopping off and returning it to its Pokéball.

"Great job, Staraptor!" she says, turning to look at Barry, who is, at this point, saying something that looks terribly important (to him) and terribly confusing (to Black). "What's going on?" she asks Barry, edging in between him and Black.

"Hi," I say, jogging over to join her. "I'm White. This is Black. We just met your friend, here, _Barry_."

I shoot him a withering look.

"Barry," the girl says gently. "Why don't we go see why Rowan wanted us? I can stay for a while. Lucian's promised that no one's getting past her today."

"Um, yeah, we can tell you about that," I say tentatively. "We've come here on our own adventure and all, but we seem to have followed one of our old enemies. Accidentally. Anyway, there's no evidence of anything, but we have vague, vague reason to believe that Ghetsis – he's bad – is doing something here in Sinnoh. Seeing as he's on the run from the Interpol… well, you know… we should probably try to find him."

"Okay…" says the girl, looking a bit confused for a second. "That's a lot to think about. What else can you tell me about Ghetsis?"

"Creepy guy," Black says, shrugging. "Red eyes, sort of tea-green hair, red monocle-thing, big purple cape with red eyes on it… it's actually kind of surprising no one figured out he was the evil one from the start."

She thinks for a second.

"He sounds like the kind of person I would remember seeing. Sorry, I've been at the Pokémon League for a few months straight… he hasn't been there, I can tell you that."

"Well, thanks," I say. "What do you do there? Are you training?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. I don't think I've introduced myself. I'm Dawn. I've been League Champion for a few years, now."

She extends her hand to shake mine, and I reciprocate, looking her over. She's half a foot shorter than me, with a strange sort of hat meant for colder weather, and a burgundy jacket that barely reaches her knees.

"You don't mind if I ask a few questions..?" I say hesitantly.

"Go right ahead," she replies, smiling.

I take a deep breath. "How did you become Champion? Forgive me, but I've got a friend who's been trying his whole _life_ for it, and he's… older than you…"

I break off awkwardly.

Dawn, unlike Barry, does not take offense when I mention her age. She must get it a lot, as Champion.

"I'm good at battling," she says simply. "I train my Pokémon, a lot. I've only gotten stronger since I became Champion, and no one's beat me, since."

"Mm," I say, nodding. "What would you say to a battle?"

"Right now?"

"Just a one on one. To figure how we stand. Before we see Rowan. One Pokémon each. No stakes. Just for fun."

"It's been a long time since I had a good battle," she says excitedly. "Let's do it!"

"Can you be Judge, Black?" I ask.

"Sue," he says, shrugging. "There's plenty of room, here. Go ahead."

"I'll _watch_," Barry says reluctantly, spitting out the word as if it was a Durin Berry.

Dawn and I separate, looking at one another now from opposite ends of a ten-yard makeshift arena. Black takes his place to the side, and Barry joins Dawn, giving me the occasional irritated glance.

"Okay, I'm not really certified for this kind of thing," Black announces. "But this will be a single battle, restricted to one Pokémon from each side. The battle is over when one Pokémon from either side is unfit to battle. No items can be used during the battle. Dawn, White, send out your Pokémon!"

"Go, Samurott!" I yell, sending my favorite into the field.

"Go, Stella!" Dawn replies.

So Dawn is one of the nicknamers. I don't usually have problems with them, if they don't get too… cutesy. Stella, a vaguely feline Pokémon with a large ruff of fur around her neck, makes a sort of yowling call.

"What Pokémon is she?" I ask, loudly to be head over the distance.

"She's a Luxray. Electric type," Dawn replies, and I growl under my breath. Type disadvantage to me. Lovely.

"Alright," Black says, surveying the field. "Begin!"

"Okay, Samurott!" I begin, hoping to get this over with quickly. "Hydro Cannon!"

I shut my eyes and hope she doesn't miss. From my standpoint, I can hear Dawn's Pokémon's growl cut off by the burst of water.

"Stella! Use Thunder Fang!" Dawn commands.

My eyes open to Dawn's Luxray bearing down on Samurott, teeth glowing with yellow sparks of electricity. Samurott takes the attack on her flank, too tired from her previous attack to dodge, and her fur stands on end with the amount of static.

She moves, now, like a drunkard, barely keeping her feet as the electricity continues to wash over her. I groan. She's been paralyzed.

"Use Scald!" I cry, hoping to inflict equal status trouble.

Samurott temporarily regains he balance, sending a jet of superheated water at the Luxray. While it makes contact, the electric-type Pokémon stands her ground, gritting her teeth with the effort.

"Great, Luxray!" Dawn yells. "Now use Thunderbolt!"

Stella begins to radiate electricity, shooting a bolt into the sky that comes down hard on Samurott. If she wasn't paralyzed before, she is now.

"Can you keep going, Samurott?" I ask, but my Pokémon is too headstrong, and paralyzed, to do much but nod. I grind my teeth. "Use Hydro Cannon again!"

Samurott can't manage to muster up a drop, sparks still dancing on her pelt.

"Finish her off, Stella!" says Dawn. "Thunder Fang again!"

"Come on, Samurott! Dodge it!"

By some miracle, Samurott manages to roll out of the way, sending the Luxray skidding past her.

"Razor Shell, Samurott!" I command, and Dawn simultaneously yells "Thunderbolt!"

The two collide in a blaze of light, causing everyone involved to blink heavily in an effort to see the result. My eyes clear, and my heart sinks.

Samurott has fainted. Stella the Luxray is panting, looking close to falling down as well. Dawn and I rush out to our Pokémon, not waiting for Black to declare Dawn the winner. I can barely hear him as he does.

"Oh, Samurott," I breathe, stroking her head. "You did wonderfully. I'll get you to the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy can fix you right up. Don't you worry."

I'm mostly talking to myself. Black walks up beside me.

"You both did well, White," Black says reassuringly, snapping me out of my reverie.

"We lost," I moan.

I really hate losing. With a reluctant sigh, I return Samurott to her Pokéball.

"You did well, White," Dawn says happily, her Luxray grooming itself beside her. "Remarkably well, considering the typing disadvantage."

Though tired and disappointed, I manage to muster up a small smile. "Thanks."

"No, really. Your… Samurott? Is that is? She's very well trained. Luxray and I have been together since she was a Shinx."

"About that," Black cuts in. "White and I don't know about a lot of these Pokémon. Even if the Ghetsis thing turns out to be nothing, we're planning to travel through Sinnoh. Would you like to come with us? We'd love to have a knowledgeable guide… and you seem to be about as good as they come."

Dawn smiles shyly, looking down to scratch her Luxray's mane.

"I've got a lot of responsibilities that I can't just walk away from. But I'm sure Barry would be happy to go with you… he's always looking for something new, you know. And his father's a Frontier Brain… that's an impressive resume, here."

Barry looks vaguely displeased at the suggestion, but shrugs.

"Maybe. I want to meet the Ghetsis guy, first! He doesn't sound too tough! I bet me and Dawn could take him!"

I give Barry a stony look.

"Or Black and I. Or any combination of the four of us."

Black seems to find my distaste for Barry amusing, and tries to stifle a laugh. "She's always like this," he informs Dawn.

"Tell me about it," she sighs, nodding at Barry. "You know what it's like to be the sane one all the time?"

"All too well," he replies.

I try to silence him with a glare, but my intimidation factor seems to be broken.

"I'm going to go get Samurott healed," I say, utterly defeated, returning her to her Pokéball.

"I'll come with," Dawn says, pulling herself together. "You two really did a number on Stella."

"I can take this one back to the lab!" Barry announces. "I'll talk to the Professor! He's gotta know some stuff about whatever's going on."

"And I suppose I'll go with him," Black adds, likely feeling left out what with all these explanations of where people are going and why.

Dawn shrugs. "We'll see you two at the lab in a bit, then!"

I unclip Samurott's Pokéball from my chain, hoping Dawn won't try to talk to me. I'm feeling miserable, at the moment, and I really don't want to snap at the Sinnoh Champion. Seems like a bad way to get started in a new region, angering someone who is possibly the single most famous figurehead.

"So, what other Pokémon do you have?" she asks conversationally. I take a deep breath, following her into the Pokémon Center.

"Well…" I sigh, "I've befriended Zekrom – I have him with me – who's a legendary. But I'm sure you've met loads, being the Champion and all. Dual dragon-fire type. You've met Samurott. My Emolga's a duel electric-flying, my Simisear's fire type, my Lilligant's a grass type… and right now, I've got a Deino, but I'm not really sure what to do with him."

"That's cool," says Dawn, looking intrigued. "So… you've never seen any Sinnoh Pokémon? At all?"

"Well… I know what a Luxray is, now," I reply sheepishly.

Nurse Joy smiles as we approach. Dawn's Luxray hops onto the counter obediently, nodding at the nurse in a regal fashion I've seen Cheren's Liepard exhibit before. They're not terribly different, at least, as appearances go.

"Hello, Dawn," says Nurse Joy. "It's lovely to see you back. Will you be staying long?"

"No, sorry," says my companion. "I'm here to talk to the Professor, and I met White and her friend. We had a fun battle."

"Oh, yes," I say quickly, handing over Samurott's Pokéball. "If you could please heal her up, that would be great."

The nurse takes Stella and Samurott to the back, and Dawn smiles at me.

"I wonder what she does back there?" I ask.

"I've never been," Dawn replies, shrugging. "Probably some 'Joy family secret'. That's usually what they tell me when I ask questions."

When Nurse Joy returns, I immediately let Samurott out of her Pokéball to inspect her. She seems none the worse for wear, but narrows her eyes at Dawn and growls at her Luxray. I try not to laugh.

Letting our two Pokémon trail behind us, Dawn and I wave a goodbye to the nurse and walk the short distance to Rowan's lab. I can feel a knot of dislike growing in my stomach.

"Ah, Dawn," he says as the two of us walk in. "Barry has filled me in on what you know so far."

"Good," Dawn replies. "Now what do we do about it?"

"Judging by what this young man has told me," Rowan says, gesturing at Black, "This Ghetsis man may aim at the Pokémon League as he has in the past. It would be wise to alert the Elite Four."

"I can take care of that," says Dawn. "I'll be flying back with Staraptor in a few minutes, anyhow."

"Thank you. Now, there is the matter of the N boy. Again, judging solely from what I have heard, Ghetsis may be heading after him as well."

"They're father and son," I interject. "It's very, very likely."

Rowan gives me a sharp look, and continues. "Black has announced his and White's intentions to explore the Sinnoh region. I am sure they can do much good simply by travelling."

Black nods so vigorously that I worry his head might fall off.

"However, while they do know Ghetsis better than any of us, they do not know Sinnoh. Barry, I would like you to guide them."

Both Barry and I immediately begin to protest. The Professor silences us. "That's unless either of you have something _better_ to do?" he says sharply.

"That sounds good, sir," Black cuts in eagerly. "I'll be trying to fill my National Pokedex on the way, of course."

"Of course," Rowan sighs. "If you see him, ask Lucas to come and join me. His father is looking for him."

"Sure, thanks," I say quickly, myself eager simply to get out of the Pokémon lab and away from the intimidating Professor.

Outside, Dawn says her goodbyes quickly.

"It was great to meet you!" she says, smiling. "I'll try to run into you in the future, but I really don't get out of the League much. Good luck! Have fun!"

She hugs Barry, and calls out her Staraptor, winging into the sky.

For a few seconds after she is gone, Barry and I stare with distaste at each other.

"Well, come on? Are you guys slow, or what? Let's get going!" He finally says. "We're heading to Route 202!"

He races forward, and Black and I sprint after him.

"Hey, wait for us!" Black calls.

"Not likely! You need to keep up, if you're gonna travel with me!"

A journey through an entire region should take months. Sometimes a full year. It's hard to imagine keeping up this insane pace for such a long time. I'm already panting, and we haven't even made it through the first patch of tall grass…

Something about the way Barry taunts us from ahead makes me think that our trip through Sinnoh is going to take a very long time.


End file.
